SAN FRANCISCO — Even unflappable players are allowed to smile, to feel good about what they’ve just accomplished.

Safety Duke Ihenacho found it difficult not to show the pearly whites after this line in the Broncos preseason game against the 49ers: Seven tackles (all solo), a pass defensed and a forced fumble.

“It was alright,” he said.

Then smiled.

“We got the win, so that was important,” he continued. “Obviously it was my first time really playing defense – well, my first start – so I had butterflies before the game but those went away fast. I’m happy. Not satisfied, but I’m happy.”

The talk during the week centered on if Ihenacho, embroiled in a battle at strong safety with veteran Mike Adams, would take his successes in practice and apply them to the field. Well, he did in a Tasmanian Devil-like performance. Ihenacho was everywhere. He seemed to be in on all the tackles. He was out in coverage, too.

“He’s a good safety,” teammate Champ Bailey said. “I see it every day in practice. He’s matured. He’s grown up and understands how to be a pro in this league. Bottom line, that’s really what’s got him on the field.”

Ihenacho had been getting regular reps with the first team defense in practice, but wasn’t told he was starting until the night before the game. That’s when the butterflies cropped up.

“Some of my teammates just told me ‘Just be you, you know what to do, you trained for this,’” Ihenacho said. “So it was pretty easy just transferring what I learned in practice to the game.”